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Topic Review (Newest First)

02-12-2014 03:03 PM

Liesje

A dog that is OFA Fair is OFA Fair, could probably still pass OFA at 10 years old after being worked and trained for that long. Just b/c the dog is not Excellent does not mean it's more likely to produce or develop HD or that the dog is somehow still borderline or dysplastic even though it was rated clear. Passing hips are passing hips.

A rescue dog was another option that I was considering, but wouldn't a questionable pedigree and no health guarantee seem like a much better option?

? How so. You either encouraging a questionable breeder or you save a rescue from a bad fate. I'd would and do go with rescue.

02-12-2014 02:25 PM

Okin

Is it common to have that large of a price difference from different dogs in the same litter?

02-12-2014 01:54 PM

lhczth

When looking at hips, as Lucia pointed out, you have to look at more than just the ratings of the parents. What are the ratings of the siblings, the grandparents, their siblings. A fair dog whose pedigree shows consistently good/normal hip ratings is far better than an excellent who doesn't show that consistency in pedigree. Tough to get the information in the states because often only one or two in a litter are xrayed.

My dog has HD in one hip and both her parents had excellent hips, so no way would I risk taking a dog from one with fair hips. It's a big enough gamble as it is, and trust me, having a dog who wants to be active but having to be super careful about what kind of activities they are doing can be a real bummer.

There are so many things I wanted to do with my dog that I can't do now.

My dog has HD in one hip and both her parents had excellent hips, so no way would I risk taking a dog from one with fair hips. It's a big enough gamble as it is, and trust me, having a dog who wants to be active but having to be super careful about what kind of activities they are doing can be a real bummer.

There are so many things I wanted to do with my dog that I can't do now.

02-12-2014 01:22 PM

Castlemaid

Some of the breeders I've talked to are more concerned about the overall hip production consistency of the lines they breed than getting that elusive OFA excellent rating. More important to know that there is a long history of passing hips, than breeding an OFA excellent dog, but whose pedigree, siblings and production is all over the place in terms of Hips.

But you are right, we each have our own standard as to what we want or find acceptable. The best we can do is educate the members here, and let them make their own decision based on the information provided.

NO IT IS NOT "Because a few in the lines had 'fair' hips, I would require a genetic health agreement. In my opinion, 'fair' shouldn't even be bred. I understand that even 'excellent' can throw bad hips, but 'fair' is just flirting with disaster. " So very wrong .

I think 'fair' is just barely 'passing' in my opinion. That's why I personally don't support it. Like, "Eh, not poor but not good."

Some people feel 'fair' is good enough for them. That's fine. But not me.

02-12-2014 11:20 AM

GSDWVU

I have not seen his training methods, but I hope to see them when I do the visit next week. Traveling two hours to get the best training, and paying $1500 for the dog seem like good ideas for most people, but they just aren't realistic for everyone. A rescue dog would probably be a better option for me than this.

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